Book Groups

This Spring we are continuing the book and study groups we started in the fall. There are some new books, so we have the opportunity to choose a new topic for learning. If you're still curious about the benefit and learning to be found in joining a group, check out this article from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship about the success of our groups in the fall.

 For information about the four books, keep reading.

Worship Matters; A Study for Congregations, by Jane Rogers Van

This book recognizes that worship is the central act of the Christian faith and that Christ and the preaching of the Word are the central part of worship. But the book seeks to help us focus on many peripheral aspects of worship that serve to enrich it and lead us on a path to worship renewal.

The book teaches us that worship invites a congregation into God’s presence through many elements: people, space, furnishings, the arts, symbolic objects, music, words and actions. These many elements can be called ”languages” of worship, and the book encourages us to notice and seek to understand all of worships many languages.

Think what a difference it will make if we as a congregation grow in our ability to worship with eyes, ears, bodies, minds and hearts wide open, anticipating and expecting the presence of God … and then talk about it. This will surely lift us up to new levels of living worship.

 Voicing God’s Psalms, by Calvin Seerveld

The book of Psalms is the prayer book of Biblical poetry and covers the whole range of human emotions and experience.  This book, Voicing God’s Psalms, by Calvin Seerveld, contains translations of 37 Psalms and canticles, as well as several psalm-like passages from both the Old and New Testaments.  Half of the translations are followed by singable psalm verses.  Included with each book is a CD featuring readings by Seerveld himself along with versification melodies.

These translations are fresh and new and provide inspiration for personal devotions and personal conversations with God.  Eugene Patterson said that these translations give us the voice of “God talking live”.  The book also includes concrete suggestions for helping these psalms come alive in both our private and public worship today.

Shaped by God--Twelve Essentials for Nurturing Faith in Children, Youth, and Adults, edited by Robert J. Keeley

This easy-to-read book deals with the formation of faith.  Faith formation doesn't just happen--it's a Spirit-led, lifelong process of shaping and reshaping.  In this accessible anthology, twelve experts share their perspectives on faith formation at home, in worship, in education, and much more. Other phrases mentioned in the book include: the Sacraments and God's Presence, Lifelong Maturation, Playing and Praying, Together with all the saints, the Story of God's Faithfulness, Education, Singing, Sacred Space, Christ Dwelling Within, etc.

 The first article in the book starts out "Ask ten people to sketch out the story of their walk with God--the story of their faith formation--and you will hear ten very different stories.  Search the Bible for a systematic program on which to base faith formation strategies in the church, home or school, and you'll be searching for a long time.  But look for common threads in those stories and in Scripture, and you will find them."  This book will give us great encouragement and practical ideas for drawing closer to the Lord our God.

For questions please contact: Carol VanValkenburg: (656-0040) or carolvanvalkenburg@comcast.net; Carolyn Coke: (455-9432) or carolynmae0803@sbcglobal.net; Janet Dykema: (455-5563) or mjdykema@comcast.net.